The news from sources that Google will be ending software updates for Google assistant on third-party smart display devices is hardly surprising.
According to 9to5Google, Google will be halting all updates for its assistant on Lenovo, JBL and LG smart display devices. It’s important to note that these devices will still continue to function with the assistant, however, some services may be hindered.
This news comes as last year (2022) it was expected that Amazon’s Alexa was predicted to lose around $10 billion. Preceding this, Cortana was discontinued for iOS and Android in 2021.
The move from Google could be viewed as attempting to funnel end-users into the Google ecosystem. This could also be a sign that there has been a shift in user behaviour and voice prevalence is starting to dwindle.
Taking this into consideration, it is important to consider that the smart display market is very small compared to—for example—automotive where the application of voice is much more favourable.
